


Shipping

by kethni



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Pre-Slash, Rescue, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 16:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15934067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.





	Shipping

**Author's Note:**

> For Veeple, who asked for "Kent, Selina, and Kent's boat (or whatever it is that he has)."

The boat bobbed sleepily in the water. Selina stretched out on the sun lounger and looked at Kent over the top of her sunglasses. She could see that he was trying not to look at her bikini-clad body.

‘I’m on vacation,’ she whined.

‘I know,’ he said. ‘Apologies.’

‘You’re not sorry,’ she said. ‘You’re doing this on purpose to mess with me.’

Kent frowned, and his lips pursed tightly. ‘Are you accusing me of giving the president the flu?’

‘Wouldn’t put it past you,’ she grumbled.

She was mildly surprised that he was moving so easily with the waves. He seemed totally comfortable, which was annoying as fuck. God. Why couldn’t he turn green and throw up over the side of the boat? She at least deserved that.

One of her secret service agents was loudly evacuating his breakfast. It was real distracting. Kent had arrived on a cruiser that was larger and newer than her own. it made her feel personally attacked.

Selina sat up. ‘Why can’t we cancel or postpone whatever it is?’

‘Because other countries tend to be quite touchy about being told to cancel or postpone a state wedding.’

‘Oh,’ Selina said. ‘Fuck.’

‘Indeed.’ He frowned.

‘What?’

He shifted his feet. ‘You appear to have caught the sun on your back.’

She felt it as she twisted around to see. She couldn’t turn that far of course, but now she felt the burn. That new goddamn sun lotion. She’d string Gary up his thumbs. Organic her ass.

‘Do you have aloe?’ she asked.

He shook her head. ‘On my boat.’

Selina looked at him over the top of her sunglasses. ‘That’s your personal boat?’

‘It’s quicker to take it out and claim back the fuel than request a rental vehicle,’ Kent said.

‘Huh.’ Selina looked at it and then at him. ‘Not bad.’

‘Thank you.’

She shrugged. ‘So, you gonna get the aloe or stand around all day trying to look down my bikini top?’

It didn’t work. Kent Davison was physically incapable of embarrassment. Irritation sometimes, when really pushed, and mild sarcasm quite frequently, but embarrassment was beyond him. Only humans got embarrassed. Animals didn’t, and obviously robots masquerading as humans didn’t either.

He had moved down to his boat with an annoying ease and grace. Why couldn’t he trip over just once? God, she’d pay good money for him to fall over the side of the boat. Not drown. She wasn’t a monster, just splash around. Get mussed up.

He returned to her side and gave her the bottle. Fuck. Catherine had helped her put the sun lotion on her back, apparently doing a typically terrible job, and now she wasn’t here. Selina looked at the secret service guys. One was still throwing up. The other had a neutral expression that didn’t change and yet made it very clear that he would not be helping her with this particular problem.

Selina groaned and looked at Kent. ‘Could you... you know.’

He looked affronted. ‘Surely your assistant...’

‘Who? You mean Gary?’ Selina asked. ‘God no. I do not need his little comments about hairy shoulders or my taste in swimwear. I gave him the day off. Where did you think he was, swimming behind the boat?’

‘Below deck,’ Kent said. His lip curled up a little. ‘He’s the type to spend the entire trip vomiting below deck.’

Selina sniggered. ‘Yeah, he would.’ She licked her lips as she adjusted her bra straps. ‘So, you gonna help me out?’

He set his shoulders, like touching her was so revolting that he had to steel himself to do it.

‘You want me to go cover for POTUS,’ Selina said. ‘I can’t do that if my back is all sunburned.’

Kent sighed. ‘As you like, Ma’am.’

She sat back down. ‘Believe me. I don’t like this any more than you do.’ She lay on her front. ‘Less, actually. _Much_ less.’

There was a rustle of movement as he removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. She tensed as he straddled her. She was very aware of his legs pressed against hers and the faintest hint of his breath against the nape of her neck.

She reached behind her to undo her bikini top.

‘Are you ready?’ he asked quite primly.

‘Yeah, yeah, get on with it.’

She expected his hands to be cold, maybe a little clammy. The lotion was cool against her burned skin but warmed quickly against his hands. His skin was warm. As he rubbed the lotion into her shoulders, she felt the softness and suppleness of his hands.

He leaned forward as his hands slid down to her lower back. She could feel his breath against her skin. Easy, regular exhalations prickling the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck. Selina closed her eyes. He was touching her a little more firmly than was completely necessary. Not painfully, not uncomfortably, but closer to a massage than application of lotion. Her muscles were easing and relaxing.

She looked over her shoulder at him. He was concentrating on what he was doing, his eyes fixed on her back, the tip of his tongue just protruding from his parted lips.

His hands reached the slight swell of her ass. Selina caught her breath, waiting to see if he would push it further.

Kent raised his eyes. He was startled to see her looking at him. His cheeks flushed pink for a moment. Then his mask slipped back into place, his expression returned to the slight peevishness.

‘You gonna do my legs?’ Selina asked.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. ‘That doesn’t appear to be necessary.’ He stood up and thrust the bottle at her. ‘I’m quite sure you can reach your legs yourself.’

She snatched the bottle. ‘This refusal to go the extra mile is one reason you’ll never get anywhere in life.’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘I am quite happy with my career, thank you.’

‘It’s not all about work, you know,’ she sneered. ‘There’s this thing called a “private life” that stops human beings from being robots.’

He pursed his lips. ‘The most meaningful part of a private life is the concept of "privacy.” You have no idea what my life outside of work is.’

Selina stood up. ‘Oh, that’s right,’ she said. ‘My so-called private life is open season for everyone and everything. I have to tell you assholes anything that might be compromising, the newspapers wait around the residence hoping to catch someone leaving after sex, and in years to come TV and movies can make me a character in their shitty dramas and comedies without my permission or involvement.’

‘All of which you knew when you first ran for office,’ Kent said. ‘You tacitly accepted all of it.’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘So, the only people who should run for office are boring assholes like you or shameless fuckers who don’t care about anyone knowing every detail of their lives?’

‘Merely that having accepted the devil’s bargain, you will receive little sympathy for paying the price.’

She laughed bitterly as she sat down. ‘Sympathy from you?’ She rubbed lotion on her calves, feet, and soles. ‘I’d expect more sympathy from a fucking shark.’

He looked up to the sky for a moment. ‘As fascinating as this, Ma’am, we really ought to return to dock. There are a number of engagements today that the president –’

‘I am on vacation!’ She leapt to her feet. ‘If I do cover for him then it is a goddamn favour! So, you do not get to chide or nag me about any of it!’

He sighed. ‘I am merely attempting to –’

‘I don’t care!’ She stamped her foot. That was a mistake, on two levels. First, because it made her look immature and she was a grown fucking woman, damn it. Second, and worse, it was a mistake because she had rubbed aloe on her feet, including her soles.

She stamped her foot, and it went out from under her. She bellowed, grabbing at him, Kent staggered back, coming hard against the side of the boat. He twisted away. Selina lost her grip on his jacket and fell off the boat.

She hit the water, hard, yelled, swallowed cold water, and sank. The water was much colder than she would have thought.

The water rushed up her nose and into her mouth as she fought and thrashed, kicking her feet and flailing her arms. Something hit her, grabbed her around the waist, dragged her up. She broke the water, coughing, choking, floundering, and panicked. Hands grabbed her and yanked her up. The secret service agent who wasn’t seasick dragged her into the boat, dropped her on the deck, and put her into the recovery position.

Selina threw up. Her nose, throat, and windpipe burned. She was shaking. She couldn’t stop shaking. Her shoulders felt like someone had tried to pull her arms out.

‘Is he still in there?’ the sea-sick secret service agent moaned. ‘Oh fuck!’

Selina watched two pairs of shoed feet rush to the other side of the boat. Sitting up wasn’t an option. Standing was a complete fantasy.

She remained where she was, not paying attention to the frantic conversation or the splashing sounds, until someone crashed onto the deck beside her.

‘Fuck off,’ she mumbled.

‘Unbelievable,’ Kent Davison said, shaking his head.

‘You pushed me in the water,’ she said, coughing.

‘You slipped and almost pushed _me_ in the water,’ he retorted.

She raised her head a little as he stood. Water streamed from his clothes, which clung to his body.

‘Where are you going?’

‘To my boat,’ he said. ‘You, Ma’am, are a menace to shipping.’

Selina threw up again.

***

She was still feeling very queasy when they docked. She had changed back into a comfortable trouser suit and blouse, but her hair was a wet rat’s nest.

‘It’s no use you giving me your hand now,’ she snapped as she stomped off the boat.

The hapless secret service agents trooped after her. They were shamefaced as she fronted up to Kent coming off the boat. His wet hair was slicked back, and he had changed out of his soaking wet suit into cargo shorts and a t-shirt. His legs and arms were slim but toned. He looked younger out of a suit and tie, and much more relaxed as he prepared to leave the boat.

Selina scratched her elbow. ‘What the fuck are you wearing?’

‘My spare sailing outfit,’ he said coolly. Okay, not so relaxed as he looked.

Selina licked her lips as he walked over. ‘Dumb and dumber told me that you jumped in the water after me.’

He nodded. ‘One was vomiting and the other stated he couldn’t swim. We threw down the lifebuoy, but you were in too much distress to make use of it.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘You nearly pulled me under with you.’

‘Yeah, well drowning fucking sucks’. She shuddered. ‘Fucking horrifying.’ She shrugged as she looked at him. ‘So, you know.’

He looked at her blankly. ‘No?’

Selina rolled her eyes. ‘Thanks. Okay? For jumping in the water and all that shit.’

He folded his arms. ‘All that shit? Are you referring to my saving your life as _shit_?’

‘I’m trying to be nice. Don’t be a dick.’ She edged a little closer. ‘Thank you.’ She stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, but wobbled, and caught the corner of his mouth instead.

His hands were on her waist, steadying her as she sank back to her heels.

‘Awkward,’ she muttered, very aware that they were only inches apart. Very aware that he was looking at her.

‘Unexpected, certainly,’ he said.

Selina rolled her eyes. ‘You may have saved my life but you’re still an asshole.’

‘Gracious as always,’ he said, turning away.

Selina grabbed his elbow. ‘Seriously, you saved my life.’ She pursed her lips. ‘I happen to be pretty fucking attached to it.’

Kent cocked his head. ‘It must be quite... distressing,’ he said quietly.

‘Nearly dying or you saving me?’ she joked.

His lips twitched into a small smile. ‘Both.’

‘Thank God you didn’t have to give me mouth to mouth,’ she said, forcing a laugh.

‘I have a mask in the... oh,’ he said, realisation setting in. ‘No, that would have been terrible.’

‘Awful,’ Selina agreed. ‘Um. Are you coming to this thing? The whatever the fuck POTUS is wriggling out of?’

He shrugged. ‘I’m not really dressed for a funeral.’

‘Oh, fuck,’ she sighed. ‘Well, catch up when you’re changed. We should... you know, get dinner later.’

The pink spots touched his cheeks again. ‘We should?’

She patted his hand. ‘Yeah. You saved my life. Dinner’s like the least I can do.’

He looked at her hand, and then at her. ‘Okay.’

Selina felt herself flush as she walked to the waiting car. It was just dinner. No big deal. She looked back at Kent. He hadn’t moved. He was stood watching her with a curious and thoughtful expression on his face.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The End

 


End file.
